Happy birthday, Ino-chan!! I had originally planned on posting something a little more sustantial, but about a thousand words was all I had in me today. Still, I hope that this is enjoyable!

title: Birthday Surpriserating: pgpairing: Yaotome Hikaru/Inoo Keiword count: 1,150beta:yomimashouauthor's note: Happy birthday, Ino-chan! This is another installment in idolverse, but it's not in the current timeline. See the summary for details~summary:It's been a long day by the time Inoo makes it back to Hikaru's apartment after work. Set on Inoo's birthday about two years after the events that start in もっとみてよ、みつめてよ.

It's been a long day by the time Inoo makes it back to Hikaru's apartment after work. Though his birthday still hasn't actually happened yet, it's been a long weekend of birthday activities, starting with the Aioi-tai handshake event yesterday, followed by his birthday fanclub event today. Back in the day, when they were relatively unknown, it wasn't as big of a deal, two two-hour events during which he talked to the fifty-something fans present, ate cake, received presents, and sang one song at the end, but now, two years, three major singles, a radio show, and a few late-night TV appearances later, he's cramming in three events in a day, starting at ten in the morning and ending at seven at night, each with schedules packed to the brim as he does his best to entertain the one hundred and fifty fans that they can still fit into the venue with tables and food and not be in violation of fire code law. It's rewarding, even still, seeing how many people want to be with him on his special day, watching up close and in real time how he can make people happy with just his presence, but all the same, by the time the clean up and meetings are over, it's past nine, and he's exhausted. It's nice, at least, that he doesn't have to carry a huge bag of presents home, because these days, they have staff to screen them and weed out anything too inappropriate, but still, by the time he makes it to Hikaru's place around ten, he's completely drained.

But, he thinks as he digs out his key and lets himself in, that's all a part of being an idol, and at least now he's free for the next 15 hours or so until he has to head in for his birthday show tomorrow night. And so, with a smile on his face, he toes off his shoes in Hikaru's genkan, calling out, "I'm back~" despite the fact that it isn't even his own home. Hikaru's place is practically a second home to him now, anyway; despite (or perhaps because of) everything he and Hikaru have been through, Inoo thinks, wherever Hikaru is is home.

Hikaru appears in the entrance hall with his signature playful grin, taking Inoo's bags from him as Inoo steps inside. "Welcome home," he greets in response, setting Inoo's things aside and following him into the bedroom. "How was the event?"

"Good," Inoo replies as he flops onto Hikaru's bed, giving a sigh of relief at finally getting off his aching feet. "There were more than four hundred guys there telling me how much they love me and giving me all sorts of fabulous presents, are you jealous~?"

Hikaru only laughs, shaking his head as he disappears into the kitchen without a response. Inoo lifts his head a little, perplexed, but Hikaru can be more than a little weird at times, and he doesn't have enough energy to stand and see what he's up to, anyway. It's a little concerning to think of Hikaru going into the kitchen-- Hikaru can't cook to save his life, Inoo knows, and he can still remember Hikaru's shock and awe almost two years ago when he'd first gone home with Inoo and Inoo had made him tea with a real teapot and real tea leaves-- but when he returns, it isn't with any plates or bowls, but rather with a stack of takeout containers and a proud grin on his lips.

"You got me takeout?" Inoo asks with delight as he sits up in bed, making space for Hikaru and the food. Maybe it doesn't sound very romantic, but somehow, sitting together in Hikaru's messy, cramped apartment eating takeout together has become one of Inoo's favourite pastimes, and he grins as Hikaru sets out all the boxes, along with a few napkins and two sets of breakable wooden chopsticks.

"Not just any takeout," Hikaru replies, his smile widening, and Inoo glances down at the boxes Hikaru is laying out to find that, sure enough, they're from various different restaurants in the area. Perplexed, he look back up at Hikaru with an inquisitive expression, but Hikaru only grins at him. "Open them up," he encourages, and so, after another moment of confusion, he does.

The first box, from an Indian restaurant a few blocks away, is white rice. Inoo is a little perplexed as to why Hikaru went specifically to an Indian place to get white rice when he could just have well have made it in his own rice cooker (and while maybe it's a bit dusty, Inoo knows for a fact that Hikaru does own one), but then he opens the next box, from a fast food curry place near the station, and it's also white rice. The box after, from a little cafe down the street, is also white rice, and the one after, from a Chinese place that delivers in their area, is also white rice. In fact, Inoo discovers once he gets all the boxes open, every single one is white rice, and by the time he opens the last one, he can't help but laugh.

"Well?" Hikaru asks, laughing a little himself, "What do you think of your first birthday surprise?" and Inoo grins right back at him, reaching out to shove him lightly. "What?" Hikaru protests jokingly, "I got you your favourite food for your birthday!"

And maybe it's stupid, and maybe it's just a silly gag gift, but Inoo can't fight back the stupid smile that spreads across his face as he imagines Hikaru going to every single restaurant in the area and ordering only white rice so that Inoo can have a shamelessly 100% carbohydrate dinner on his birthday. It's so… Hikaru, but Inoo loves him for it, and despite the fact that it's probably a bad plan, he can't stop himself from reaching across all the containers of rice to kiss Hikaru right on the lips.

"So do I win?" Hikaru asks after a moment, not seeming to mind that Inoo is balancing precariously over their dinner, his lips still brushing pleasantly against Inoo's as he speaks, the familiar feeling of his overgrown mustache stubble tickling comfortingly against Inoo's face. "Well… I haven't opened all the ones from the fans yet, but… probably," he responds with a little giggle, not wanting to pull away just yet.

Hikaru raises an eyebrow. "Well, just keep in mind that you haven't seen your other surprises yet," he adds, an arm snaking down along Inoo's side, long fingers curling to pinch Inoo's skin right where his shirt meets his pants just so, a promise of what's to come, and as Inoo lets out a little squeak of surprise and excitement, he thinks, the day may have been long, but it's also shaping up to be his best birthday yet.

Ahaha I love this ♥ I was just as surprised by Inoo at Hikaru's present, and it was so perfect XD Trolly and yet also thoughtful. I love seeing how close and comfortable they are two years down the road, and I'm sure Inoo enjoyed his other surprises later, too~ And there's something so perfect about the line about Inoo enjoying Hikaru's subble tickling his face ahahaha ♥